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In Practice: How to Create a Successful Holistic Practice from Start to Success!
Time & Projects
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by Shaun Brown |
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In my lifetime of self-employment I have learned about business and how to approach it successfully. How to “do” time and finish projects can be the most fun of challenges. I will discuss these and remember to please keep a sense of humor while having this much fun. Maybe even throw a party and dance a little after digesting this meaty feast.
TIME
Time is very precious to me, and it is important that it is invested wisely. Invested time spent is directly related to how successful you will become. Time spent learning the holistic business and honing your craft is essential. What you give your attention to will flourish.
Be aware that there will be times of “endurance.” Those are the times when you ask the Universe for guidance and get no response. Well, actually you are getting a response and that is “wait.” The sooner you let go of the length of time you think it takes for your request to be granted or what you think you want to have happen, the sooner what is SUPPOSED to happen will. Does this make sense? Ask for your needs, toss it out into the Universe and let go of the plan and get going on what is in front of you!
Now that you have checked your motives, and are working on your Inner self, the idea of time investment must be explored. As I have stated before, like any discipline, the more time you spend devoted to your holistic business, the better your holistic business will become. The focus will unfold as Love, Discipline, Self-Care, and Balance, just as soon as you let go of the time thing and just get busy doing what’s in front of you and what the next right thing to do in the day is. Let the Universe take care of timing. Believe it or not, the Universe is orchestrated to perfection and you are part of that.
In the beginning, every waking moment needs to be focused on creating the goal for your business. This is where we discuss the six-month, one-year and five-year plan. This creation starts with your image intent and is manifested as you do the footwork that is presented to you. When you make plans they may not end up as the exact ones you write down but the joke is: Want to make God laugh? Tell him/her your plans. However, making six month, one-year and five-year plans get you going FORWARD.
All of my ideas come from meditation or insistent urging from my Angels while awake. You know those voices in your head, the soft quiet ones? I wrote, “How To Create A Successful Holistic Practice,” in three days. I didn’t say it was completed in three days, but the pertinent information was given to me in that time, I had no expectations about how long it would take I just asked for help and set the intent to write my first of two books. My motive was to make your life easier while creating your holistic business. Making a living, making a difference, while staying in balance AND get out of the starving artist mode.
FunTime
Write a detailed view of your six-month, one-year and five-year plan about how you want your holistic business to look. Where do you want to be in one year? How much income would you like to make? The success process will take time but if you don’t have a general idea of where you are going how do you expect to get anywhere?
Creating a plan doesn’t mean it is etched in stone, however, when you put your idea of a plan out there it will help you to get going. The idea of letting go of the outcome of the plan is the hard part. The Universe is orchestrating your life just ahead of you. If you choose to let this happen, by staying out of the way as much as possible, you are acquiring “faith.” Faith gets stronger with every baby step of courage you take. Courage is fear that has said its prayers before you take that leap of Faith. As a holistic practitioner you will be “living in the leap,” taking your direction from a Power that has your best interest in mind, how exciting!!
It will take at least the first one or two years for your business to establish a solid client base. Remember you want only fabulous clients and the only way you can be pretty assured of this is mostly “word of mouth.” My experience in doing things like advertising in the yellow pages is a waste of a lot of money and you also get the general public. They usually call and want an appointment yesterday, a high percentage of them want a cheap deal, AND even if they show up the first time, you don’t have a clue who they are.
Word of mouth assures you that the potential client is connected to someone, someone’s boss, niece, wife, etc. That relationship usually means integrity. No one from a referral will want to do anything that will be traced back to the source as a problem. The only two clients, out of thousands, who were “questionable,” had found my brochures at a bookstore. A well-meaning friend had dropped them off for me, thinking she was doing me a favor. They were promptly removed.
As an example of advertising in the world, I belong to a gym with a pool. My brochures are at the front desk, and that is a guarantee that whoever calls for scheduling is connected to the club’s database. The staff receives a tray of yummy health snacks once a month with a little sign thanking them for their support, usually taped to the side so they know where the tray came from. This has really worked well because it gives you a chance to introduce yourself to any new employees when you bring the tray; they see your face and recognize you; the brochures don’t end up on the floor somewhere because no one cares, and they talk you up if there are member queries about massage therapy.
As more and more holistic professionals enter the work force attitudes towards what they offer will become more familiar provided we continue to raise the bar from ordinary to “extra”oradinary. For now, I suggest that you network, take the time to contact professional offices and let them receive a complimentary session in trade for displaying your brochures or cards. Feed them once a month. That $20 is a tax write off and pretty cheap advertising.
You won’t always have to offer complimentary sessions and please be discerning, don’t just give yourself away for “free.” Never use the word free. The term is complimentary. Free entails that there is no value. You get what you reward and when you are first starting out you can be a little needy, so once you start using the word free you have lowered the bar.
Complimentary: Given to repay a favor or as an act of courtesy. Dictionary.com You won’t need to give more than one complimentary session to the powers that be in a doctor/professional office or club to advertise there. Once you have engaged your brochures at the front desk your roots have been planted. New clients know how great you are, they can’t wait to tell their friends, and that, my dears, is priceless advertisement.
It is paramount when starting your craft, even though you are insecure, that you work with your clients to the best of your ability. There is no better time to start, even if you don’t feel like you know enough. You must start somewhere because the process of learning and getting better as you go is called practice. There is no other way to learn than by doing but just make sure you charge according to your ability.
At first I charged less than my peers and I had a full clientele that I didn’t have prove anything to. They understood that I was new at the craft and enjoyed the fact that I didn’t charge an arm and a leg (no pun intended). As time goes on you raise your rates a few dollars every few years. I still charge less than my peers. I like the idea of having people booked thru the year so that I can plan on a financial life instead of charging that going rate and wait for the phone to ring.
Most of my clientele are hard working servants such as, teachers, doctors, and counselors. They get it. They understand that my services are part of their lifestyle, as it is also part of mine. I receive massage Swedish or Thai every other week. My therapist has been doing bodywork for 20 years. I pay her what she is worth and I receive consistent extraordinary.
Ask yourself what you want to achieve? Do you want your business to be seen as a part-time hobby, fun for friends and family? Are you looking at a part-time income or a full- time occupation? A genuine calling to help others, while earning a living is my benchmark. See yourself as you think others will see you. Time is one of the most precious elements you can give your business. You get what you reward. In other words, the more time you spend focusing on your business, the more your business will be successful.
The more time you spend planning goals for the future the better. Self-care (including fun time!), working on your inner self, shopping wisely, creating marketing plans, volunteering time, networking, practicing phone and people skills, and mastering time management, the stronger your business will be. This list is ad infinitum and you will constantly be adding to it. Remember! The Universe is abundant. People can’t wait to schedule in your planner!
PROJECTS
Starting a project and deciding how you are going to do it is ninety-five percent of all things. It is usually the last five percent of any project, which can have a lot of value to yourself and others that never gets completed. In those last final moments, because of fear, the low self-esteemed person walks away and falls back into the habit of failure or perceived failure when not walking their talk. If you take the same low self-esteemed person feeling connected to a Power greater than themselves there is an urge to finish something important because the Universe backs them. Suddenly you are on a mission designed to be of Service and the money will follow.
Whether it is a college degree, a book, or a holistic practice the last five minutes of a project worth doing, are the hardest and scariest. Musician Tom Petty in his song titled “The Waiting” sings, “the waiting is the hardest part, take it on Faith, take it to the heart, it’s the waiting that’s the hardest part.” If you can just remember that it is always the last five minutes of the project that will challenge you, then you can be prepared to wait through it.
When you get to the hardest part just keep going, even if it means staying in the moment and choosing the next right thing to do in that day. Your fears will visit you but that doesn’t mean to invite them in. In my experience, EVERYTIME I am about to finish something worth while, my old beliefs come to see if I have changed my mind and want to escort me back to the “survival mode.”
I start asking myself, “Is this work good enough, are you good enough, who do you think you are?” I don’t think those voices ever stop, but I think they are overridden and moved away when you continue to try and stay connected with your Guides and Teachers. I would have doubted the merit and the point of writing my books if I hadn’t kept a close contact with the Fourth Dimensional Coaches.
This information was given to me to share so that you can gain a better insight and go forward in your craft without all of the research that I had to do. There was no mistake that I got a degree in communications, advertising, promotion and production. At the time I had no clue that fifteen years down the road I would be using that information to educate holistic therapists about success. The main reason I went to the University and got my degree was to raise my self esteem-being the first in my immediate family to finish college.
These holistic business books would not have been birthed if I had let fear talk me out of it. My process was about my fear, feeling it, and doing it anyway. My Angels write through me and the core concepts are conveyed in print. This information is not and was not written for mainstream readers it was written for you right brain artists. If the general public happens upon and reads my work that would be great too.
When I am in fear today, I ask the Universe to guide me through it and grant me Peace, which is all any of us are looking for. I sit in silence and ask for this, which can be followed by tears of acceptance and surrender, especially if I am forcing my own agenda and outcomes. I try to keep in mind that everything is Perfect with the orchestration of my Life.
Someone told me a long time ago that the road to Peace was paved with tears. This is not an agony thing; it is more like letting go of the fears of what you think things should look like. Your mission is produced, directed, and supported by the Universe. Don’t should on yourself and just blow through the finish line.
I would like to leave you with this advice by the wonderful author Scott Peck: LOVE: “To allow yourself or another human being the fullest Spiritual potential growth.” ~The Road Less Traveled
Until next time, you can now purchase my books: “How To Create A Successful Holistic Practice” or “Intentional Success,” at Amazon.com. Feel free to email me and let me know how you are doing- shaunBeWell@Comcast.net.
BeWell, shaun |
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Shaun Brown,
Holistic Therapist,
Author and Consultant
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Shaun Brown has been self employed most of her adult life. She has an AA degree in General Business and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from University of California, Sacramento, in Communications. Her main focus of education is in advertising, promotion and production. Ms. Brown attended the Health Awareness Academy, in Fair Oaks, California, has practiced bodywork therapy since 1993 and has taught holistic related classes since 1994.
Ms. Brown works, with a team of professionals, including physicians and other health care providers, as well as volunteering her time to work at Mercy Hospice. Her focus is the care of people working in high stress environments, and those suffering from injuries due to a variety of causes.
She is the best selling author of “How To Create A Successful Holistic Practice,” and her newest current release is titled, “Intentional Success-A Workbook For The Holistic Therapist.” Ms. Brown currently has a successful holistic practice in Orangevale, California, is an author, speaker, columnist and consultant. To read a chapter/purchase her books/schedule a workshop visit
Email:
BeWell!
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